The Storywalk is ready at Agnes Patterson Park

After a year of collaboration and planning between multiple organizations throughout Newton, the Storywalk through Agnes Patterson Park is installed and will have people walking while reading a book along the way.

The Storywalk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vt. and was developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Newton Public Library Youth Services Librarian Phyllis Peter started work about a year ago to try and get a Storywalk in Newton.

“We knew that doing the Storywalk would be something that families would enjoy. I was able to get the idea going about a year ago,” Peter said.

There was plenty of collaboration to get this project going. Funding was raised by the Newton Wellness Coalition, Kinetic Edge and Friends of the Newton Public Library. Additionally, the Jasper County Health Department and Newton Parks Department worked to make the project come to life.

“It was great to have community support because we definitely could not have done it on our own,” Peter said. “We needed to have community support to make it happen.”

The Storywalk itself is a little under a mile long and situated along a paved walkway. So those who want to bike the trail or have strollers will also be able to go out and enjoy the new Storywalk, too.

“It is all on sidewalk so that makes it easy,” Peter said.

The original plan was to have a special event to mark the accomplishment of completing the project but due to the ongoing pandemic, it couldn’t happen. A ribbon cutting was held recently to mark its completion but organizers hope future events can be planned.

“Hopefully in the future when things are back to normal we can have some big events with the Storywalk,” Peter said.

The plan is to change the book out in the Storywalk roughly every two to four weeks during the warmer seasons and less frequently in the winter months. Book changes will be announced on the library’s Facebook page. People are encouraged to get out and enjoy the Storywalk as a perfect activity for our times of current social distancing.

“Anything we can do to encourage families to get outdoors, activities that they are doing together. It encourages literacy and hopefully it will encourage visits to the library ... It’s a win-win for everybody I think,” Peter said.

For those interested, parking in the gravel lot between the ball fields at Agnes Patterson will put them in a perfect spot to begin the walk. The path is easy to follow once people get started with each sign being numbered.

“Once they get going it is going to be easy to follow I think,” Peter said.

Contact Dustin Teas at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or dteays@newtondailynews.com